Are You Afraid?
by BadWolfRisen
Summary: At Lake Silencio, River is not the one to greet the Doctor, but instead an old companion whom the Doctor has tried to eliminate from his thoughts. He never could truly forget her though. Not when a part of her was scattered through all of time and space.
1. Chapter 1

Hi all. This popped into my head a few days back and I thought I might write it down. This is all I have so far but if you all like it and I get good response I may continue on with it. Again, this all depends on you guys, so let me know. Reviews are to an author like... water is to a man dying of thirst. So please read and review.

I definitely do not own Doctor Who. All rights belong to the BBC and any of their writers. I just like to play with their characters.

This is Eleven and Rose because even if 10/rose is my OTP... the Doctor/Rose is my second. Because, honestly, Rose would love him no matter what he looked like. Thank you or reading this little part and on to the story.

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The Doctor strode up to the astronaut who stood on the shore's edge of Lake Silencio. Funny that, after the entire ordeal with the silence, he should die on a beach named for them. It almost reminded him of one he'd lost, a long ways back. About two years to be exact. Two years... that was the amount of time she had been away from him before she showed up again the last time. It was like the universe enjoyed breaking his hearts and tearing them to shreds – piece by piece. Last time though, it had been his own undoing; when he'd not given her a choice; when he'd sent her away with another. Even though it broke him again, he believed it best for her and hadn't even given her a say in the matter.

As he walked, this thought caused him to remember what Dorium Maldovar had said to him the last time they'd spoken. The Doctor had asked what "silence will fall when the question is asked" had meant. The man had told him the first question; the _very first question_, and it had shaken the Doctor to the core. The first question in the universe.

But now, if his knowledge and instincts were anything to go by, then she was back. And she was back to kill him. But after everything he had gone through – without his three companions behind him, for he was so much further in the timeline than them – he was ready. Everything was figured out and _when_ he survived this, he would have her back.

The Doctor walked forward some more and then came to stand in front of the astronaut who still had its visor down. He stared into the golden sheen of the glass, trying to make out if it really was her behind it. He didn't have to wait long. A hand rose and slid the glass pane upwards, revealing the woman the Doctor had been hoping for.

"I knew it would be you." He stated, his voice full of emotion. "Never can stay away for more than a couple years." She gave him a soft smile but didn't say anything, so he kept talking. "I don't know why you don't forget me. You could be happy, living out your life, getting married, having children; living the one adventure I never could."

"You've told me that before." She said after a short moment of silence. The Doctor nodded, looking away. "I did, you know. I got married." His eyes refocused on hers. "But we never had any children. Because for me, it's been a lot longer than two years." He looked at her quizzically. "It's been about half a century for me." His eyes grew way past what was normal.

"That's impossible." He said. She gave a short laugh.

"How many times have you told me that something was impossible? In fact, how many times have you told_ anyone _that something was impossible and then they turn around and the impossible thing comes to pass? Hmm?" He looked taken aback at that question. "Just because you think something is _improbable_, does not mean that it is _impossible._"

"But... then – what I mean is, how?" He stuttered. She gave him a faintly amused look.

"Let me tell you a story." The Doctor looked like he was about to refuse but she treaded on. "Once upon a time, there lived a big Bad Wolf." The Doctor's eyes grew again. "Now, this Bad Wolf had been around since the very beginning of time. She could see the future, had the ability to know what was to come. One day, she looked and saw a man. A man who would come from so very far away and be so very alone. She saw what he would go through, all of the strains and the heartache. But she also saw what good would come because of it. She saw all of the good in his heart, his capability of forgiveness, of compassion and of love.

"Another thing about the Bad Wolf was that she had the power to input herself into the time stream. She could go anywhere, do anything and not cause any disruptions within any set point. And so, she decided, that this man, who would live for generations upon generations, should have someone who could stay by him and never have to leave his side. So she looked farther in the stream and saw someone else. A young woman.

"This woman was nineteen and had gone through a tough period in her life. She had dropped out of high school for a boy, lived with her mother and worked in a shop. But she also saw that this woman would meet the man and she would learn how to live her life to its fullest. And so, she decided that she should be his companion for all of time. Using only a small percentage of the powers she had, she transferred a piece of immortality into this young woman's life that would come out a year after her meeting with the lonely man.

"What the Bad Wolf didn't expect, was for the man to take the wolf from the woman, thereby erasing the memory from her head and ending one of the man's lives.

"For the next year, she watched as the new man and the woman grew closer but never acting upon any of the feelings they shared. The man because he thought the woman would eventually leave him and the woman because she was afraid that, were she to act upon her feelings, that the man would send her away.

"The Bad Wolf decided that they needed to learn what life was like without each other again. So two years after their first meeting, the woman was taken from the man and sent to live a different life, in a different world.

"The man grew sad and angst-y. He took two new companions in the space of two years but neither of them filled the void of the woman he'd lost. After those two years, the woman was returned to the man, albeit under dire circumstances, but at the end, he pushed her away again, leaving her with a half of a man. During these years, the Bad Wolf had not put any more of herself into the woman for fear that the man would only take it from her again. But when the man pushed her away yet again and then left, the Bad Wolf gave the young human girl immortality and powers beyond her belief. She got married to the half-man but nothing ever came from it. And when that man died, five years after his "birth", that was when the Bad Wolf actually showed herself to the woman.

"For the next forty five years, the Bad Wolf taught her everything she needed to know and how to use the powers unto which she was bestowed. After that time frame, the Bad Wolf told the woman what she was to do; to go back to the world where she once came from and follow the path laid out for her. And after she did this, the man and the woman would live happily ever after." The woman smiled "The end."

The Doctor was gaping at the woman in front of him. Everything he thought impossible died.

At least, any having to do with the woman in front of him did.

Many a time she had done the unexpected. She had beaten all of his preconceived notions and everything he had ever been taught. This woman had defied his logic, had defied any logic. And now she was here, telling him a story which in everything he knew should have been impossible, but once again she was just tearing it down.

"So what you're saying is, after we finish what you are here to do, you get to stay. No more big battles, no more me sending you off-"

"You will never send me off again." She said with finality. "I make my own choices and if you try then Rassilon help you." Then she smiled at him and he gave her a soft smile in return. "But in answer to your question, yes. I get to stay. I plan on staying. I know that this isn't really you and that you're in there." She said, pointing at the Doctor's head. "So when this is done, you teleport away, your companions behind us burn the Teselecta, I go back into the lake and I'll meet you back in the TARDIS." The Doctor smiled.

"Deal." A ball of green energy began to coalesce in the glove of the woman's suit. Two seconds later, it hit him point blank in the chest. The Teselecta Doctor stumbled back and gripped at his hearts, his body beginning to glow. "Oh, and Rose Tyler," he said, staring up into her eyes and ignoring the cries of his companions behind him. "I love you." The woman's – Rose's – eyes grew as the second ball of energy began to power up. The Teselecta turned its head to face Amy, Rory and River and then was impacted with the second jet of energy. He crumpled to the ground and Rose closed her visor, backing into the lake Silencio.

It was then that River and Rory let Amy go and they all three ran over to the now believed dead Doctor. Amy fell to her knees beside the empty shell they would later discover to be the Teselecta, though they wouldn't know that the Doctor would use it in this fashion. River shot the disappearing astronaut but the bullets would not pierce the suit. Rory knelt beside his wife, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Amy was lying on the Doctor's chest, begging for him to come back. But nothing happened, the Doctor stayed as he was, and the old man that had shown up came down with a jug of gasoline.

"You'll need this." He said, placing it before River and tipping his baseball cap. "There are a lot of beings in this universe who would kill just to get a piece of the Time Lord." And so, it was about 14 minutes later that the Teselecta was aflame and drifting through the waters of Lake Silencio. Rory was holding Amy as she cried in his side while River and the unnamed man stood back.

"Who are you?" River asked. The man looked at her for a minute before replying.

"Canton Everett Delaware the third." He handed River his envelope from the Doctor, asking for his presence here at this time. River noticed that his TARDIS-blue letter had a four on it. Curious, she pulled her own out of her jacket and noticed the three.

"Amy, Rory. Come over here." Rory walked over and, with great reluctance, so did Amy. When they reached River, Canton was gone but they paid no notice. "Let me see your envelope, the one the Doctor sent you."

"What for-"

"Just let me see it." Rory pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to River.

"Two." She said. "He numbered the envelopes..." and so the circle began again.

Back in the TARDIS, the one belonging to the future Doctor who had lived through what Amy, Rory and River were all now going through and more, one Rose Tyler was leaning against the console waiting for the new new new Doctor to walk through the doors. She didn't have long to wait.

The doors were flung open and the Doctor came almost running in. He stopped when he was but a foot in front of her. "Rose." He said quietly. She spent a few moments struggling with her emotions. It had been fifty years since she had seen the Doctor and during that time she had thought of the speech she would give him and the slap he had earned. But the look on her face in that moment told the Doctor everything he needed to know. Taking a step forward, he eliminated all of the space between them and bent down to capture her lips with his own. His left hand rose to cup her cheek and his right settled on the top of her left arm.

Rose started in surprise and nearly jerked away before remembering who it was that was kissing her and how abnormal it was for him to do this sort of thing. Her left hand came up to hold the Doctor's elbow and her free hand gripped his left forearm. After a second's hesitation she kissed him back. When the Doctor got his confirmation that this was okay, he pulled Rose tighter against him. His right arm curled the rest of its way around her back and his left tangled in her soft blonde hair. Rose's hands were wound in his own chestnut locks as her body arched up to meet his.

Rose was on cloud nine. Finally she was back and the Doctor still wanted her. He hadn't forgotten, though he had only been through one twenty-fifth of the time that she had. He loved her, he'd said as much on Silencio. And she hadn't said it back. But she would... right after this.

The Doctor couldn't be any happier. His one true love was back and had told him that she could be with him forever; that she would stay despite whatever he said. And that was just fine with him; never would he tell her to leave him again. He loved her with all of his hearts and he wouldn't let go, not now and not ever. Finally, he had said those three words that he should have said before; that he should have said within the first two years that he'd known her; when he was his ninth and his tenth self.

The Doctor dragged his tongue against her lips, asking for entrance to which she immediately granted. Their tongues met and fought for dominance and didn't give to the other. The kiss soon died down from lustful and rushed, to slow and passionate as they both realized that the other wasn't going anywhere. Rose explored the Doctor's mouth as she had wanted to even when he'd had the big nose and floppy ears. Even more so when he'd had the spiky, untameable brown hair and tall figure. But now, he had brown, floppy hair, wore tweed and a bow tie and she still loved him. The Doctor was the Doctor no matter how he looked.

In turn, the Doctor got to explore her own mouth. He ran his tongue over hers and across her cheeks. Soon his mouth drifted from hers and trailed across her jaw line. Her grip on his hair tightened slightly as she held him closer to herself. He grinned in her neck and placed a trail of kisses from her jaw and downwards. He nipped at her pulse point which drew a moan from her throat. He went further down to her collar bone and kissed there as well.

"I love you too." She said breathily. He drew back and looked into her half-lidded eyes. They opened a bit wider and she gave him a smile that could light up... everything. He smiled just as brightly and brought both of his hand to her cheeks, kissing her on the lips once more. This time it was short but sweet and they both smiled, leaning their foreheads against the other.

"Rose Tyler." He said. "Come with me." She nodded against his head and brought her hands up to fix his tie. Noticing it again, she poked her tongue out of the side of her mouth between her teeth before saying, "nice bow tie."

"Bow ties are cool." He answered self consciously. She gave a short laugh.

"Not really. But on you," she hummed. "It fits." He smiled at her before they both began to laugh. Nothing about the situation was funny, really, but just thinking about everything, about both of their pasts, their lives. Everything just seemed so ridiculous that they needed to get it out. Soon enough they were both slumped of the floor of the TARDIS and their backs leaning against the console. The Doctor's left arm was curled around Rose's shoulders and her arm was around his back. Her head settled in the crook of his neck and his was leaning against hers.

"So, you really are the Bad Wolf now." He mumbled into her hair, tracing patterns on her upper arm. She nodded into his shoulder. "And you really want to stay with me when you could do," he let out a scoff. "Anything?" She, again, nodded. "Why? After everything, why would you want to stay with me?" Rose pulled her head back and looked into his grey-green eyes.

"Did you not hear me, earlier, when I told you I loved you? That means that I will never leave you no matter what happens. Through regenerations, through bad times, through good times. Through everything, I will be by your side even if you don't want me there." The Doctor's gaze softened and he pulled her tighter to him in a one armed hug. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I will _never_ not want you with me, my Rose. Forever now, like we promised each other what seems like a lifetime ago." Rose laughed.

"It was a lifetime ago. For the both of us. But the rest of our lifetimes we will be promising each other that." The Doctor smiled.

"Forever."

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Thanks for reading this. Like I said at the beginning (and if you didn't bother to read that bit) if you want more, tell me and I'll see what I can come up with. Please review because I love to hear what you guys think. Like always, constructive criticism is welcomed.

Also, I'm looking for a beta because honestly, I can edit someone else's story but for some reason, I don't do very well with my own. Have you ever experienced that?

Anyways, thanks again. Cheers! -BadWolf (You have no idea how much I love writing that)


	2. Chapter 2

I'm sorry, again, for taking so long to update this. School's been hectic this month because of final exams and culminating coming up so I haven't had the easiest time. But I _have_ done it and now you have another chapter for "Are You Afraid?" So without (much) further ado, here is your update.

Thank you to all of those who reviewed and who added me and my story to their favourite/alert list.

I do not own Doctor Who - it is property of the BBC - or any references i may or may not make.

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Are You afraid?

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"Well, that certainly didn't go as planned." The Doctor said upon entering the TARDIS with Rose in tow. They had just come from a Christmas adventure oddly reminiscent of a book Rose had once read. She had a feeling that the Doctor had read it as well because his gift to the Arwell children certainly seemed... ironic. The young boy, Cyril, had decided to open the gift early and instead of the guided tour the Doctor had planned, he had gone it alone.

In the end everything had worked out, Lily, Cyril and Madge had come out safe and had even been reunited with Madge's husband whom she'd previously thought dead. Rather, he had been in the middle of a flight and about to crash when Madge's love led the man and his ship into the Time Vortex and back home. The paper that Madge had gotten about the disappearance of her husband was only a result of the time he'd spent in the Vortex.

Upon leaving the happy family, Madge had requested for the Doctor and Rose to stay, enjoy Christmas. They had declined and Madge had asked about the Doctor's family. Rose had gripped his hand sensing the sadness rolling off of him at the mention of his family; his people.

Instead of saying anything about them, the Doctor had said that the only other people who were close to him thought him dead. Madge had almost immediately told him that he should go and see them. Rose smiled. The pair had turned to open the TARDIS but the Doctor had stopped and turned around. He told Madge that if she ever needed help again, she only needed to make a wish.

"Are you going to take Madge's advice Doctor?" Rose asked. She walked up behind his hunched form. He was leaning against the console with his head down, staring intently at a random knob. He didn't answer her, choosing only to close his eyes. Rose laid a hand on his shoulder blade.

Even the slightest touch from her brought the tension down in his body as his hunched shoulders slouched and he let out a breath he hadn't been aware that he was holding. Rose slid the hand from his shoulder around to circle his stomach. She stepped behind him and brought up her other arm, trapping him in her embrace. She tilted her head and laid it on his back where her hand had been previously. She could hear the rhythmic beating of his double heartbeat and a small smile graced her features.

"I don't know what to say to them." The Doctor mumbled after a few minutes' silence. "I can't just show up on their doorstep and announce 'Hey, merry Christmas. I'm not really dead, in fact I'm very much alive as you can see. Can I come in?'"

"Why not?" She asked. The Doctor turned in her hold and put his own arms around her waist. He stared at her for a minute, once again revelling in the fact that she was here. That Rose Tyler – his Rose – was here with him.

"Because that wouldn't be right. Imagine that, just showing up out of the blue after Rassilon knows how long."

"How else would you tell them Doctor? Is there really another way than showing up and getting it done? And Christmas seems to me like the best day of all to do it." Rose said matter-of-factly. He looked in her eyes. She looked back and could see the hesitation. It wasn't that he didn't know what to say, he was-

"I'm scared." He said quietly. Rose's eyes widened slightly. She knew that was what it was but she never thought he'd actually say it. She untangled her right hand and brought it up to cup his cheek. His eyes closed and he leant into her touch. She smiled and caressed the side of his face gently. She leaned up until she was a hair breadth away from his mouth.

"I will be right there with you, Doctor." She whispered and then kissed him. The Doctor shivered and kissed her back. One arm snaked its way up to her shoulder, around her neck and up under her jaw. The other just stayed at its place on her hip. Rose's hands both came down to cover his hearts, she could feel the beats racing furiously. The Doctor opened his mouth and Rose's tongue swept inside, meeting with his and trailing lazily along it.

With a quick thought from Rose, the TARDIS silently rematerialized across the street outside of the Pond's house. Quickly though that was forgotten as the Doctor's fingers deftly crawled beneath her top and ran over the smooth skin on her hip. His hands were warm, was the thought that idly flitted through Rose's head. Of course, she knew why that was. She smiled into the kiss and pulled back, leaning her forehead against his.

They were both breathing heavily, eyes closed and holding onto each other. "Thank you." The Doctor said, slowly opening his eyes. Rose just kept smiling and ducked her head into his neck.

"Anytime." She said clearly. "Now how about we go and visit your friends." The Doctor sighed and kissed the top of her head shortly before nodding. His hand that held her cheek went back to her hips and then both of his arms wrapped around her.

"Let's go." Rose said laughingly before pulling back and reaching around herself to grab his right hand. She held it in her own, tangling their fingers and then slowly tugging him towards the doors.

They stepped outside of the TARDIS doors together, side-by-side and took in the snow falling on a snow-covered world. It was definitely Christmas. Rose smiled and mentally nudged the door closed behind her before treading across the street. The Doctor was right beside her and still looking a tad nervous. He guided her though, towards the right house and soon enough they came to a stop. The Doctor stared at the door in front of him. Rose stood beside him, radiating as much comfort as she could manage, and stared up at his profile.

The Doctor looked over at her and saw the soft smile on her face. Slowly, one of his own began to creep its way across his own well-defined features as his nervousness began to quickly ebb away. He gently squeezed her hand in his own, his smile growing when she did the same.

"Ready, Sir Doctor?" Rose asked. He gave a short laugh.

"Ready as I'll ever be Dame Rose." And then he knocked on the TARDIS blue door, just beside the Christmas wreath.

"Ugh, if that is more carol singers, I have a water pistol!" Rose laughed silently to herself as the Doctor had knocked a couple more times during the red head's monologue. "And you don't want to be all wet on a night like this..." The door opened, revealing an irate Amy Pond as she trailed off. The aforementioned water pistol immediately honed in on the Doctor. Her mouth was hanging open slightly. The Doctor's smile had fallen from his face into a more sedate look. Rose felt his hand tighten just a slight bit more around her left. She brought her right up to cover their linked ones. The silence ran for a few seconds before the Doctor broke it.

"I'm not exactly sure... how long." He said.

With the water pistol still trained on him she answered, "Two years," and then pulled the trigger a few times, wetting his tweed only a little. The Doctor brought his free hand up to wipe at the water on his neck and along his jaw while Rose tried, and slightly failed, to hide a smile.

"Okay." The Doctor said. "Fair point." Amy shook her head. It seemed as though she hadn't _quite_ yet noticed Rose beside him.

"So," Amy said, breathing a bit heavily. "You're not dead!"

"And a happy new year!" The Doctor smilingly joked. Amy lowered her gun and took a few steps forward, her face not betraying any amusement. The Doctor's smile ebbed away as his nervousness had earlier.

"River told us." Amy said semi-quietly. The Doctor's mouth was set in a line as he nodded unbelievingly.

"Well, of course she did."

"She's a good girl." Amy retorted. She crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow. "Well, I'm not going to hug first." The Doctor looked over Rose's head – who was content to stay silent until fully noticed, which would probably be when Amy went to hug the Doctor and he only had one arm to do so.

"Nor am I." The Doctor said. His gaze slowly made its way back to Amy and when they locked eyes she quickly looked away, pretending to inspect her pistol. The Doctor huffed silently and looked away again. This kept going on until finally their gazes locked and they both smiled, bursting out in giggles. Almost at the same time, the Doctor held out his still damp left arm as Amy raised both of hers. They hugged, swaying back and forth, revelling in the feeling of being reunited. Finally Amy pulled back and yelled over her shoulder.

"Mr. Pond! Guess who's coming for dinner!" About two seconds later, Rory came running into the foyer.

"Woah, not dead then-"

"We've done that." Amy cut in. Rory nodded and looked back at the pair. His eyes, however, trailed to Rose.

"And who's this?" He asked. Amy turned back and then saw Rose as well. Rose gave a soft smile.

"Hello." She said, lifting a hand and waving shortly. The Doctor came back a step so he was standing beside her again.

"This, Ponds, is Rose Tyler." Amy gaped at the Doctor. Rory just looked curiously at their entwined hands.

"Replaced us then, have you?" Amy asked tightly. Now it was the Doctor's turn to gape.

"No – Amy, what... no. This is Rose Tyler; she used to travel with me a while back. I lost her and only recently have I found her again." He turned his smiled on Rose while smiled up at him in return. She squeezed his hand again before looking back to the couple.

"What do you mean you lost her? How can you lose someone?" Amy asked. Both Rose and the Doctor's smiles fell from their faces as they remembered their pasts: Daleks and Cybermen and then just Daleks on their own, John the meta-crisis and Bad Wolf bay.

"That's a story for another day." The Doctor answered a bit darkly. Rose's had slipped out of his and around his waist. She knew it was harder for him because of the things he'd gone through without her.

The Doctor's arm curled around her as he once again took comfort in her presence. Honestly, she was the best thing to ever happen to him; she could keep away the darkness and guide him through the Oncoming Storm part of him.

Amy's brow furrowed at the familiarity between the two. She thought the Doctor was with River. And the fact that he wouldn't tell her how he'd "lost" the girl beside him. He hadn't even ever mentioned a Rose Tyler. Maybe she was an alien controlling him and the only reason they'd even come was to keep up appearances. Delaware had said, two years back, she remembered faintly, that wars could be started over even the dead body of a Time Lord. She would invite them in and keep an eye on the Doctor to see if anything was different.

Rory looked at the couple with happiness. If the Doctor was happy then that was good. He deserved it after everything he'd gone through. He didn't understand why Amy was upset with the man. Or the woman – Rose, he corrected himself – for that matter. If Amy didn't invite them to stay, he would.

"Well, we were just about to have Christmas dinner." Amy said with a false cheeriness. "Joining us?" She asked.

"Well, if it's no trouble." Rory smiled.

"There's a place set for you. We'll have to set one for Rose as well, but it's no trouble at all." The Doctor cocked an eyebrow.

"But you didn't even know I was coming! Why would you set me a place?"

"Oh, because we always do." Amy said. "It's Christmas ya moron." She lifted the pistol again and squirted absently before walking away to set a place for the Doctor's _guest_.

"Come on." Rory said before turning to follow his wife. The Doctor stood outside the empty doorway for a minute. Rose let go of him and raised a hand to his cheek.

"Doctor?" She asked softly. The Doctor's left hand came up to cover hers as he turned to look at her. A single tear fell from his eye and Rose wiped it away with the pad of her thumb. "What's the matter?" She asked again. The Doctor continued to stare at her and then turned his mouth to her palm, placing a kiss there. He then raised his other hand to the side of her face and lowered his lips to meet hers in a soft kiss.

"Nothing." He said, pulling away. He looked into her eyes and smiled. "Everything is brilliant." Rose smiled back at him with a tender look. The Doctor laughed softly and pulled Rose through the open doorway. She dropped her hand but kept it in his as she closed the door.

"Are you two coming?" Rory hollered from the next room. Rose shifted her head to look in the general direction of his voice but the Doctor's eyes stayed trained on her.

"Yeah!" He answered back. Rose looked back at him before they both headed into the kitchen. The tantalizing scent of turkey lingered in the air. When they entered the kitchen they saw the cause of the smell surrounded by everything else you could eat at Christmastime. There were loads of mashed potatoes, a bowl of gravy, stuffing, beets and an array of boiled vegetables like carrots, corn, green beans, cauliflower and a few others. There was a bowl of mashed squash and lastly small ham.

Rose's eyes widened as she took it all in. Beside her, the Doctor laughed at the sight; both the expression and the lay of the table. There looked enough to feed an entire family, let alone the four of them.

"We cook extra so to last us for easy lunches or dinners and whatnot. Sometimes... River will stop by," Amy said slowly, judging the Doctor's reaction. "And of course, for when you came back, we didn't want to not have enough." The Doctor showed no outward emotion towards the mention of River, but inside he was wondering what Rose knew of their relationship. Probably near, if not all of the details. He was slightly worried though – and at that moment, it seemed as if she knew what he was thinking because her grip tightened and when he subtly looked towards her, there was a serene smile on her face. He smiled to himself knowing that everything was fine before turning his attention back on the Ponds.

"It's absolutely brilliant! Molto bene! Fantastic!" The Doctor prattled on. Rose smiled at the familiar phrases but Amy was confused and still slightly worried.

Rose seemed to be keeping very (suspiciously) close to the Doctor who, in turn, seemed to be acting (very) out of character. Rose hadn't seemed worried or perturbed at the mention of another woman and the Doctor hadn't given it a second thought. She really was worrying for her best friend.

"Shall we eat?" Rory asked, startling Amy from her musing and the Doctor from his little rant that he'd started – well... ranting about. Something relating to Christmas and the starting of the tradition of eating turkey. Nobody had really been paying attention – well, except Rose who actually knew the back story; it had been one of their adventures after all.

That and because of her years with and as Bad Wolf, she knew everything the Doctor knew and probably an extra mile as well.

"Yes, lets." The Doctor agreed and then pulled Rose over to the table and pulled out her chair for her. She smiled at him in thanks whilst sitting down and Amy frowned slightly.

They all ate in silence except for the occasional inquiry of what Amy and Rory had been up to and one person asking another to pass a certain dish.

However, as Amy noticed, the Doctor and Rose always seemed to know exactly what the other wanted. When the Doctor had wanted the potatoes, he'd found Rose setting some in front of him. And likewise, when Rose had wanted the vegetables, some appeared on her plate. During his tenth regeneration, and somewhat in his ninth, they had been able to... sense – as they would describe it – what the other wanted or needed. It was very difficult when they were asked by someone outside of the two of them just how this was. No outsider would grasp the rapport that they shared. And it didn't only go for meal times; sometimes, when Rose had gotten into a spot of trouble, the Doctor would just... know. And again, likewise, with Rose, she just _knew_ when the Doctor had gotten into a mess. At those times, she noted that she would find herself with an almost disbelieving smile on her face.

Of course, on the Doctor's side, his mouth would gape, his brows would rise and – with a cry of "Rose!" – he'd be off.

_I don't think Amy favours me too much,_ the Doctor heard in his head. He struggled to contain a surprised cry, covering it quickly with a cough, his eyes wide. He started to turn towards Rose – because, really: who else? – when he heard, _no, no. Just keep eating. This is one of the perks of the Bad Wolf. I can talk to you telepathically. _She sent him the equivalent of a wink. _There's really been no need for it, no outlet for it in Pete's world obviously, so I've only just remembered that I can, but I don't really want to just come out and ask if I can speak with you alone. It seems Amy thinks I've _bewitched_ you or something of the sort. And asking to consort with you in private, in their house, during dinner, would be quite rude, no?_

The Doctor gathered his wits, which he thought must have been lying all over the floor for the amount of time it took him to respond. He took a moment to just enjoy the presence of another in his mind once again before replying. _I see your point. But, really? I thought Amy might be happy for me._ The Doctor received the equivalent of a head shake.

_I skimmed through her surface thoughts and it seems she thinks, because of something she heard a while ago, that I'm only here for the rarity that is a Time Lord. She doesn't accept that I'm a past companion; thinks you've been acting differently-_

_Of course I've been acting differently! Before when she knew me, I'd lost everyone I held dear. I'd just been to visit Mickey and Martha, Jack, Sarah Jane, Luke, Verity, Donna, Wilf, even Sylvia... and you. I was almost as bad as I was when _we'd_ first met... at least in little ways. Around her and Rory and River I tried to push my past behind me. And now, you're here and I'm ecstatic so of course my attitude is different. I love you and you love me and we have the means of being together forever and I'm just so... content and joyful – and those don't even begin to cover what I'm feeling. Humans have such a limited vocabulary you know. Such little words to describe the most powerful of emotions..._

The Doctor spared a glance at Rose who had a hint of tears in her eyes. He watched as she lifted her hand to swipe at the offending droplets, sniffing while doing so.

_Sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. _He sent. After that he saw her glare at her food.

_I'm not sad crying, you dolt. I'm happy. Thank you. I love you. All of that, what you just said... minus the little beginning of the rant at the end – it was sweet and... profound. The likes of which I haven't heard from you before. So I guess you could say I was just... pleasantly surprised._ She got a nod back for that.

_Anyway, you were saying about Amy?_

_Oh, yes. All I was saying was that she doesn't really like me and that's putting it quite mildly. Thinks after this I'm going to not let you return again, have you break ties with them._

_Well that's just crazy._ He said. Rose silently agreed and they turned their attention back to eating. Rose was enjoying the meal, it was fantastic. The Doctor was quietly enjoying it himself. Amy kept glancing at the two and Rory kept glancing at his wife. He wondered why she was so bothered and upset. He shook his head to himself.

This might just be a long night.

.Xx

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Amy asked the Doctor while Rose was with Rory, insisting she help to clean up. The Ponds had cooked so much, it was only fair they didn't have to put it all away themselves.

"Yes, of course, what is it?" The Doctor asked. He knew she'd want to see if what her instincts told her were true: if he had been 'brainwashed' by Rose. He knew he'd have to make it perfectly clear he wasn't but he wasn't sure exactly how. Amy made a point of looking around the corner at the two in the kitchen. The Doctor raised an eyebrow but motioned towards the sliding doors leading outside. Amy nodded and walked over. The Doctor followed behind her.

"We're going to go outside." Amy told Rory as she passed him. He looked over his shoulder and nodded at her. The Doctor looked at Rose.

_She wants to talk. Most likely about what we discussed earlier._ The Doctor said.

_I know, I 'heard'._ The Doctor's mouth twitched up on one side.

_Cheeky devil. I can't hide my mind from you anymore can I?_ He heard her laugh tinkle in his head.

_Nope. _Rose popped her 'p' in the fashion that his previous incarnation would have done.

_Well this will definitely be useful in dire situations._ Again she laughed.

_I can't believe you're only thinking of that now. Honestly, that was the first thing that I thought of when I learned of it... well, maybe the second. The first was a bit more... unclean._

The Doctor blushed when he saw what Rose sent him but nobody noticed. He heard her laughter in his head against and he adopted a smile on his face.

The Doctor then followed Amy out of the glass sliding doors and watched as she walked off of the small spaced cleared as a patio and towards a row of hedges lining the backyard. He shook his head and pivoted on his heel to close the door before making his way over to where Amy stood.

They both faced each other, silent for a minute or two. Amy looked to be contemplating on where she should begin and the Doctor waited patiently.

"How are you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and arching an eyebrow. The Doctor let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Never better." He answered. They both reverted back to the silence and the Doctor was growing impatient. He decided that if she wouldn't, he would get to the point. "Amy – Amelia, I know what you want to talk to me about." Amy's resting eyebrow came up to meet the one that had been arched. She opened her mouth to cut in but the Doctor held up a forestalling hand. "And you're wrong. There is nothing wrong with me and when I answered your question with never been better, it was the complete and utter truth.

"Earlier, Rose and I didn't give you the complete story – which I think fair because it doesn't matter anymore or have anything to do with you, honestly. It doesn't matter, Amy, because the only thing important to me – and I suspect to Rose as well – is that she's back and going to be travelling with me again." Amy's brows had furrowed at some point while the Doctor was talking. He knew that Amy would most likely want the back story – and all of it. He didn't want to re-open old wounds let alone explain about his companions _since_ Rose.

"But Doctor, are you absolutely sure? Because earlier and inside you didn't seem to be acting yourself-"

"Amy, it may not have seemed like it, but when you met me I was just a tired, sad and angst ridden old man. I had only just lost a great many things I'd held dear and said goodbyes to old friends.

"I may not have acted it _around_ you, but it certainly hit me when I was alone. I brooded in my room and I thought. Being alone and left to my own devices when I have so many things to think on is never a good idea because my mind wavers and floats from topic to topic.

"One thing that would never, _ever_ leave my thoughts in any life is Rose Tyler."

"But what about River?" Amy asked a bit hotly. She may look older, but River was still Melody Pond; River was still her daughter.

"What about River?" the Doctor asked. Amy was about to respond when the Doctor beat her to it. "Amelia, the first time I ever met your daughter I wasn't... I wasn't _myself._ I'd never even met her before and yet she knew all about me.

"I asked her how I could trust her, because – of course – we were in a spot of trouble." The Doctor shrugged and Amy giggled despite herself. "She whispered in my ear and what she said made me believe her. But ever since I met her again, in this backwards timeline we have, I've felt like I _need _to love her, like that was what I was supposed to do. She kept saying little things, hinting at our future and implying that she knew or would know my name. She never knew my name, not the first time I met her – the last time she would meet me. But every time I've seen her since then she's known less and I felt like I was supposed to stay with her because of our previous meetings and what I knew."

The Doctor looked into Amy's teary eyes. "I'm sorry, Amy, but I don't love your daughter, not like she loved me. Even if our relationship had grown normally and of its own accord, I could never love someone as much as..." the Doctor trailed off and shook his head. "Time Lords fall in love for life Amy. Even back on my planet it rarely happened. But when it did..." He made an appreciative noise. "My parents were a pair of the rare few. In fact it happened so rarely that they had to come up with a different way to create new life. And in that, the ones who fell in love were looked down upon." He shook his head. "But that's a different story. My point was that I didn't accept that I loved who I did until it was too late and she was gone."

"Why wouldn't you accept it?" Amy asked curiously. The Doctor smiled lightly and felt Rose come outside. He could feel that Rory was with her. They both just stood outside of the sliding door, not wanting to interrupt.

"I didn't want to accept it because it was impossible for us to be together without us both being hurt. She was human and I thought that maybe if I didn't act, that if we didn't get any closer to each other than we already were, then when it was time for us to be separated it would hurt less.

"But I was doomed because from the moment I met her I was in love with her. I knew right away that I would never love another. Not like that, not ever again." Amy looked sceptical and slightly hurt at this statement. "I've loved others Amy, but not like this. The feeling that I got from her – from even just being around her – was different. It was... Rassilon! I don't even know how to explain it. Again, this language is so limited. But I loved her like no other before her: just a simple shop girl from London."

"And you were just a funny, slightly mad man with big ears and a leather jacket." Came Rose's voice from a few feet away. Amy's eyes widened and she pivoted herself to face Rose. The Doctor only smiled.

"Yes, but you loved me anyway." Rose nodded once with a soft smile gracing her face.

"I did. And I always will no matter what your face looks like." Rose brightened her smile in order to try and diffuse the remaining tension between her and Amy. Rose extended her hand. "I don't think that we were properly introduced before, Amelia Pond. My name is Rose Tyler." Amy looked to be turning things over in her head before a smile broke out on her face and she grasped Rose's hand. Rose dampened her own smile to a lighter one and Amy let out a breath.

"Nice to meet you Rose Tyler, I'm Amy Williams." Rose nodded.

"We're alright then?" Rose asked, letting go of Amy's hand and taking a couple of steps around her to the Doctor's side. The Doctor took her right hand in his and tangled their fingers together, smiling down at her. Amy looked at the pair with soft eyes. "I know you're one of his best friends. I don't want conflict, really." Rory walked up behind his wife, glad that she'd changed her tune. He wrapped his arms around her midriff and laid his head on her shoulder. Amy crossed her own arms over Rory's and leaned back into him.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course we're alright. I was just worried about him, what with being the last of his kind. I thought maybe-" She shook her head and closed her eyes. "Never mind that. He's safe and I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Rose and the Doctor smiled. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed his in return. "Let's go back inside. Tea?" Amy asked.

Rose's smile got bigger. She hadn't had a good cup of tea in a long while. "Yes please." She said enthusiastically. Amy nodded and took Rory inside with her to put the kettle on. The Doctor laughed and shook his head in adoration at Rose's addiction. She looked up at him and did the mature thing and closed her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him. The Doctor smirked and ducked his head down, moulding his lips with hers. Rose let out a surprised gasp before kissing him back and wrapping her left arm around his neck. The Doctor's right arm came up around her waist and he pulled her closer.

Rose disentangled her hand from his and placed it on his bicep. He brought his free hand up to circle around her upper back.

They kissed slowly, lazily letting their tongues dance with each other. Eventually Rose pulled back and let out a short, contented sigh. The Doctor laid his head against her collar bone, his left hand dropping to meet his right and hugging her tightly to him. Rose fingered his hair softly and for a few minutes they stood there, outside, listening to the natural sounds around them. Wind whistling and howling; snow falling; honking cars in the distance.

"Come on, I'm sure they're wondering what's keeping us." Rose said finally. "And I _know_ you want a cuppa." The Doctor smirked against her and Rose felt his movement. She laughed and pushed his shoulders back, kissing him lightly once before taking his hand and dragging him inside.

* * *

Of the big Bad Wolf?

* * *

Thank you all once again for reading. I really _would_ like to know what you all thought/think. Reviews put a skip in my step and a song in my heart. I don't think I'll be adding more to this unless you all really, _really_ want it. Nobody wants that though... do you?

You all put up with my absence so the least I can do is listen to your will. Tell me what you want.

I also thought it might be fun to write based on a prompt. If you have an idea but don't want to write based on said idea yourself, tell me in a message (not in a review) and I'll do my best for you.

Cheers! -BadWolf


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